NOMayor saying get off streets; long lines at Superdome, on the street.

[barbaraann]

It will be dark and raining and people will still be standing there on the street.

Either they are incompetent and not prepared, or this is deliberate.

[jasmeel]

1. Incompetent sounds about right.

[Endangered Specie]

2. Truth is you cant prepare for something like this really...

NO just cant be evactuated with such little notice.

[aquart]

3. Well, let's just let them die, then.

But we will be sure they are free of contraband.

[Boomer]

20. Not if you wait until Sunday mid-morning to get serious

There is no way the entire city could have been properly evacuated with only a few days notice, but the mayor didn't get serious about evacuation until FEMA was practically begging for action.

So he squandered some 24 hours of time in which thousands of people could have been persuaded or ordered to leave.

Based on what I saw of the early reports, I'd have had my family out of there Friday evening. The signs were bad enough then to urge extreme caution. He dithered around until 10:30 Sunday morning, at which point it was waaaay too late.

[barbaraann]

24. I simple do not understand the Mayor's delay.

I cannot fathom it.

[MoonRiver]

26. Money.

NO business interests didn't want to lose the tourist $ or get bad pr unless there was no other choice. Isn't the first time NO has sold out its citizens, or its LA neighbors, for the bottom line.

[geomon666]

28. Yeah but it could be the last time n/t

[MoonRiver]

36. I really hope so. n/t

[Lone_Star_Dem]

42. I have elderly in-laws in NO

The got a ride out Friday and made it to Dallas, I picked them up there and took them to Houston to be with their family yesterday.

If they had waited until it was official this 76 and 82 year old would have had no way out.

I'm just grateful their family talked them into leaving.

[merbex]

22. I'd say that they've had since 1965 to prepare for this

And every mayor and Gov should have updated evacuation plans and handed over updated plans to new incoming administrations

Just my opinion but from where I'm sitting- safely thousands of miles away-there appeared to be a large degree of HOPING that this thing would change course or weaken and precious time slipped away

[barbaraann]

25. For sure.

n/t

[dogday]

4. Who is handling this operation? The city?

or has HS or fema taken over?

[barbaraann]

6. Homeland Security.

In other words, the BFEE.

[dogday]

9. No wonder everything is frigged up

they could not protect a fly from a fly swatter.

[barbaraann]

11. But they could find a GOP donor to make fly swatters for $500 each.

And a consultant to study it for a million dollars.

[NYC]

12. Privatized.

Homeland Security hired a company named IEM.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4480507

[tjdee]

5. How many people can fit in there??

:(

[barbaraann]

7. They won't give a number.

I don't think they know or care.

[Leeny]

10. The second one...

They don't care. Tell me, please, if I'm way off the mark, but I have a sense that if those were a bunch of rich white Republicans standing in line... or if that area had a different (lighter?) demographic...

Wonder what the Dem vote counts in 2000 and 2004 was from those people standing in line?

With Diebold and a few well aimed hurricanes.

Slap me if I'm just out there.

:eyes:

[barbaraann]

13. No slap from me.

But it's interesting that they are willing to inconvenience some rich white tourists along with the poor black residents.

[Leeny]

14. Hmmm

Well, there will be a few. They should have used their financial resources to get their butts out of dodge. Goes to show that money and brains don't always go hand in hand.

(I am not totally heartless; hope it's not as bad as it looks to be.)

[barbaraann]

15. Of course.

It seems like a lot of the fishermen are staying to protect their boats, because it's their livelihood. I wonder if they can't get insurance for the boats...

[Leeny]

19. Sad

They probably have no other choice. And if they have or could afford insurance, it might not be enough to fully replace.

I dunno. I'm a devout agnostic, but I'll be saying a silent prayer for them all.

[Elidor]

21. Actually, the homeland security guy on the scene estimated 20-30K

He wasn't sure exactly how many they could accommodate. But he expects the lower levels of the 'Dome to be flooded.

[barbaraann]

29. Thanks for the info!

They seem to be somewhat sketchy on facts.

[notadmblnd]

8. sonds deliberate to me.

shut down the busses running out of the city.. why aren't these veichles being used to get the poor out of the city. Tourists trapped because flights are cancelled. It's a shame. When they shut down the bridges.. all will be trapped.

I'd be willing to bet, the pretzledent and his ilk are dancing with glee right now.

[seabeyond]

16. surely there are schools ect.... that can be opened up

other places than just one place. the dome

[barbaraann]

17. Apparently the Red Cross said there wasn't any safe place to

put a shelter in New Orleans. It's posted on a couple of threads.

The city will be seriously flooded for days.

[SmokingJacket]

32. Schools wouldn't be any safer than regular houses...

Maybe less so, since lots of houses are up on pillars.

I used to live down there when I was a teacher. NUMEROUS times my school flooded, just because of regular thunder storms. The ground is so low that you have to get used to being flooded if you build right on the ground.

I remember one afternoon going out in the hall and finding the school secretary sweeping water out the front door. The kids sat on their desks until the buses came to take them home early. I heard later a couple kids had their trailers washed away. And this was just a regular thing.

I was in LA during Andrew. Scary stuff -- but Andrew was nothing compared to this one.

[seabeyond]

41. thanks. they reported superdome only high place, i guess

that is true. just horrible

[Roland99]

18. Deliberate? Come on. People have become desensitized to the storms

The last few that were to head toward the area shifted east and weakened .


This storm expanded like mad overnight and didn't give much time to plan.

[barbaraann]

23. History is full of examples of brutal behavior.

What's happening in Iraq right now?

[Roland99]

30. You can't even begin to compare the two.

This is ridiculous.

[barbaraann]

31. I'm just keeping an open mind, not stating a firm belief.

I do not have any idea where the moral boundaries are for the Bush Administration are but I honestly haven't seen any evidence that they have any at all. However, I am keeping an open mind.

[Roland99]

34. It's become so open that it's entering the realm of paranoia

and conspiracy theory.

[barbaraann]

35. Oh, so thinking the Bush Administration is capable of great evil is

a conspiracy theory? Well, then, count me in.

And if you look at my posts about how hurricane disaster preparation funds have been systematically cut under Bush, you might understand the paranoia.

What is your opinion of George W. Bush? Do you think he cares about the poor black people in New Orleans?

[Roland99]

37. Good grief.

My opinion of him has nothing to do with your opinion that thousands of residents of New Orleans staying behind is some sort of deliberate plan by this administration.

Or, are you saying the Democratic Mayor Nagin is part of it?



:eyes:



There's still plenty of time for people to leave. 12 hrs before landfall.

[barbaraann]

38. So what is your opinion of the depth of evil of the Bush Administration?

n/t

[Roland99]

40. Anything to spread wealth to corporate America

But, directing a hurricane to New Orleans is a bit beyond their control.

And, btw, how are they making people stay behind?


Nevermind...don't answer. I don't even want to know what your odd logic will come up with.

[barbaraann]

43. "Anything"

Well, we agree, so let's leave it at that and spend out energy trying to stop them. :-)

[wli]

27. all part of Bushler's plan to kill more brown people & Democrats n/t

[Roland99]

33. Lines into the Superdome just shown on WWLTV

They are also checking people for drugs/weapons/etc.


Keep in mind that New Orleans is a crime-ridden city. 4-5 murders/night or so.

[lovuian]

39. Saw the lines to get in there humongous!!! All those people

aren't going to get in!!!

[Tyranny_R_US]

44. I think its deliberate I doubt if the majority of the people in line

were white there would be such a long delay, anyway I heard this dome can only withstand 200MPH winds and this Hurricane might exceed 225 MPH so why are they putting all of these people in such a dangerous situation?